Cracked Cylinder Wall?

[Hkaiser83]

Hey guys,

Been having "head gasket" issues.

Had the engine tore down at a local speed shop and they say that cylinder #2 has a crack. They really have done nothing technical to verify this. They said they used the light method. The oil when it was tore down was clean with no coolant. Before it was tore down it was not burning tons of coolant, would burn for 20 seconds or so on start up, not even a bunch.

The block has been bored .30 over.
Compression came back good.
Leakdown showed cylinder #2 at 38% pressure loss.
The headgasket on the passenger side head was a used ford original head gasket. The entire block to had surface looked dirty.

Don't ask me why it is the way it is. I purchased it this way. Believe me, I am pursuing legal action so don't worry about it.

Sound like a cracked cylinder wall to any of you? To me it sounds like a load of shit. I think it is head gasket related. Lay it on me.

 

[rotor_powerd]

If it was cracked, the combustion pressure would be working its way into either your oil or coolant systems, and you would notice some serious troubles. I would go down there are see with your own two eyes what they are talking about.

 

[Hkaiser83]

Well I was having coolant issues. When I would get on it the coolant would immediately come boiling out of the reservoir.

I also could not run the engine with a thermostat because it would puke up the coolant at a constant rate.

 

[cbr repsol]

If the cylinder does have a crack have them put a sleeve in it. They bore the heck out of the bad cylinder and heat the block up. Then drop in the new sleeve and bore it to match the other cylinders. You will have no problems with it.

 

[sleepermobile]

If the cylinder does have a crack have them put a sleeve in it. They bore the heck out of the bad cylinder and heat the block up. Then drop in the new sleeve and bore it to match the other cylinders. You will have no problems with it.

I have gone this route with bad cylinders before. I would look for another block. I would only do a new sleeve as a last resort. Its also just my opinion!!!

 

[ShelbyGuy]

If the cylinder does have a crack have them put a sleeve in it. They bore the heck out of the bad cylinder and heat the block up. Then drop in the new sleeve and bore it to match the other cylinders. You will have no problems with it.

Why would you waste time and money sleeving a commonly-available block that sells for $300?

 

[Hkaiser83]

Found someone that is selling them brand new for $600ish.

Same place is also selling the large bore 5.0 mod blocks for around $2k.

Hrmmm.....

Thought about sleeving. I already disliked the fact that the block was already .30 over. Even if its not cracked I may go ahead and replace it.

 

[cbr repsol]

Why would you waste time and money sleeving a commonly-available block that sells for $300?

I would it its the one the car came with.If you keep the car 40 years and sell it you probably wouldnt get as much money for the car if its all origional

 

[racebronco2]

I would it its the one the car came with.If you keep the car 40 years and sell it you probably wouldnt get as much money for the car if its all origional

1. He could get a teksid and just build that one and save 70lb over his cast iron block.

2. He could find another cobra block cheap 50.00 to 100.00. I don't believe our cars have matching engines/bodies so it doesn't matter if he has the original engine.

 

[Hkaiser83]

I could give two sheets about keeping numbers matching.

An indicator would be to try to find someone that cracked a block with a numbers matching Cobra. . . . :lol:

 

[99BOSS]

I got a new alum teskid cobra/explorer block Id sell you for $400. I have pics of it I can email you. I have no use for it and from here to houston, shipping wouldnt be that bad. Let me know. Thanks!

 

[thomas91169]

lol @ sleeving a cracked cylinder bore.

besides, unless they have a boroscope to visually verify a crack, i highly doubt your cylinder wall is cracked, youd be pushing coolant or at least having a nice milkshake going on inside your cooling system. Prolly blown HG, was a leakdown test done?

 

[hotcobra03]

crack

i have had problems on the other side..2 heads with valve problems,,i did have a crack in the head and was loosing fluid,,,Where the heads check at all? and FWIW ford says dont reuse gaskets or bolts...and the supercharged 4.6 uses different gaskets and left and right are different and priced different:beer:

 

[Hkaiser83]

I don't even care what Ford said. Who would seriously reuse a head gasket even if you could???? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Just fustrated)

The heads have not been seriously checked out other than eyeballed.

I am going by tonight to pick all my shit up from this shop and get the car towed home. I am going to just order a DSS level 20 block and some other goodies. Get the heads repaired if need be. If the block is not cracked though that would be good. Because then I am slapping some Comp Race grind cams in it with a 3.4 whipple. :rockon:

 

[Sniperdog]

my understading is we have cometic head gaskets and it is completely normal to reuse them :shrug:.,., but I could be wrong

 

[1bad03snake]

I would pass on the DSS block. A friend of mine just bought a 306 short block from them and it burned oil from day 1. They tore it down last weekend only to find the rings were in wrong and the cylinders have deep scratches in them. Call Tommy vaughn ford and see what they sell a new block for. I have used houston engine and balancing in the past with good results.

 

[Hkaiser83]

Sup dude, this is Hans from WSM. Thanks for the input. Did he have DSS put the block together? Did he have DSS match the pistons up and file the rings?
No offense to your friend but if he just bought the block and did not do the right machining to get the pistons lined up then he may have done it to himself? :shrug:

 

[1bad03snake]

He bought an assembled short block He put his cam in and heads on and that's it. It came buttoned up with a canton pan. I have seen a few DSS blocks and it is not worth the money to me. I have never seen there mod motor stuff but from what I have seen of there pushrod work I would pass... I had a 331 build by coast high a few years ago and it looked pretty good. I dont have 1 complaint about there work.